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Also, I’d never admit this to her, of course, but I was a tad jealous of her. It’s not that I missed that Enforcer lifestyle, exactly. But I did sometimes long for more adventure. Hell, hadn’t Slade said the same thing? What were his words? “But don’t be surprised when that darkness inside you rises up and you’re forced to deal with it.”
I tossed back the covers and got out of bed. Outside the bedroom, I could hear voices in the kitchen. Laughter and the homey sounds of a meal being prepared. No doubt Adam was there with Giguhl and Georgia. Part of me longed to join them and relax. But I needed to get dressed and go talk to Maisie again.
My lie of omission to Orpheus about the Maisie situation meant I was on my own in convincing her to try the incubation. I couldn’t even recruit Rhea because she’d have no choice but to tell Orpheus what was really happening. I couldn’t risk that. Not yet. Maisie’s fragile grip on reality didn’t need Orpheus’s ham-fisted dictates.
While Adam and I had discussed the Alexis issue at length, we’d pretty much avoided discussing the Maisie situation. We both knew at some point there’d be a reckoning. Issues as big as the ones between the three of us didn’t stay ignored for long. But I suppose first the more immediate issue of Maisie’s prophecies needed to be dealt with. Once the peace treaty was signed and we could all breathe a sigh of relief, then we could face the ever-present specters that followed us home from the Big Easy.
Needing to wash away those nasty thoughts, I stepped under the shower’s hot spray. I emerged from the bedroom half an hour later, clean and dressed. On my way to the kitchen, I still felt conflicted and restless, but I pasted a smile on my face.
Giguhl and Georgia were cooking at the stove while Adam sat at the table reading the paper. I don’t know, I guess the domestic scene should have felt warm and comforting. But the overpowering scent of sizzling meat and the expectant glances of my lover and friends suddenly felt stifling.
“Hey, Sabina!” Georgia called. “I hope you’re hungry. Giguhl and I are cooking enough to feed an army.”
I grimaced. “Thanks, guys, but I’m not really hungry.” I looked at Adam. “I’m going to run out for a bit.”
He frowned. “Where are you going?”
His question had been innocent, a casual query, but it felt invasive. “I’m going to go see my sister,” I snapped. I knew my tone was unfair, but I couldn’t help it. I resented having to handle this on my own. Not to mention the fact I couldn’t even talk to him about it.
He rose from his chair and approached me. Taking my hands in his, he forced me to look at him. “Is everything okay?”
I sucked down a breath, trying to remind myself that he hadn’t done anything wrong. “Everything’s fine.” But it wasn’t. Not really. “I just want this all over with so everything can go back to normal.”
Whatever normal is.
“Hey, it’s all right. We’re all a little edgy. But in a few days, the treaty will be signed and we can finally relax.” He smiled and kissed me on the lips.
“Hey, Red,” Giguhl said. “Be sure to be back early tonight.”
“Why?” I asked, wondering if he was planning a makeup dinner party.
Giguhl waved a spatula in the air like a magic wand. “We’re going to a concert,” he announced in a singsong voice.
“What? I thought Pussy Willow didn’t have another show for a while.”
“Not Pussy Willow,” Giguhl said, grinning like a child with a secret on his tongue. “You’ll never guess who Georgia and I ran into at Vein last night!”
I’d heard Georgia and Giguhl come in just before dawn, so I figured they’d spent their night partying it up at Vein. But since I couldn’t figure out who Giguhl would be so excited about seeing, I didn’t bother guessing. “Who?”
“Erron Zorn!”
My head jerked back in shock. Talk about the last person I expected him to say. “You’re kidding! I thought he was on tour in Europe?”
Giguhl nodded eagerly. “He was, but I guess the band’s wrapping up the tour here in New York tonight.”
The band in question was Necrospank 5000. Erron and his drummer, Ziggy, had pitched in with our battles in the Big Easy. “I’m surprised they’re playing New York. I figured they’d want to steer clear of the Hekate Council.”
“Wait, why?” Georgia asked. “I thought they were mages.”
“Erron and Ziggy are Recreants,” Adam explained. When Georgia raised her eyebrows to show she’d never heard of a Recreant, he went on. “That basically means they defected from the Council and its laws.”
What Adam didn’t mention was that they were stripped of their ability to cast healing spells as punishment for their defection from the Council.
Giguhl waved an impatient claw. “Anyway, they’re playing the Jupiter Ballroom tonight.” He pulled something from the pocket of his sweatpants. “And Erron gave us tickets and backstage passes!”
“How many tickets did he give you?” I asked.
Giguhl grimaced. “Five—that’s enough for all of us and Pussy Willow.”
“Where is PW?” Adam said.
Giguhl rolled his eyes. “She was so excited about being invited to the show, she decided she needed a new wig and a mani-pedi. She said she’d meet us here in time to head to the show.”
“Well, you guys can go ahead,” I said. “I’m sitting this one out.”
It’s not that I didn’t want to see Erron and Ziggy again, but I couldn’t work up any excitement about the show itself. Necrospank 5000 specialized in industrial shock rock. I’m generally not opposed to angry music, but Erron’s songs turned rage into a fetish. And the idea of sharing a club with hundreds of mortals who got off on that shit had about as much appeal as having my fangs yanked out with pliers.
“Oh, c’mon, Red!” Giguhl said. “Don’t be a party pooper.”
I glanced at Adam. He shrugged. “It might be fun.”
“Are you kidding?” Giguhl interrupted. “It’s going to be a total freak show. I can’t wait. Do you think he’ll have a gimp onstage?”
My lips twitched. The first time we’d met Erron we’d stumbled on an orgy his band was hosting in a mansion in the Garden District that involved midget strippers, golden showers, and males in gimp suits with exposed undercarriages.
